(ANA-MPA) -- Three people have been arrested and two more are wanted by
police on the island of Crete, accused of participating in two arson
attacks on Jan. 5 and 16 targeting the historic Jewish synagogue in the
port-city of Hania.

In a press conference on Friday, police announced that a local man from
the nearby city of Irakleio, aged 24, and two British nationals, aged
23 and 33, are in custody, while another two suspects, both US
citizens, are wanted.

The 33-year-old Briton, who is accused of being the perpetrator of the
second arson attack on Jan. 16, denied the charges against him. The two
US nationals are accused of the first arson attack on Jan. 5, while in
the three detained suspects are accused of involvement in that
incident, too.

The Greek man and the 23-year-old Briton are accused of keeping watch
in the second arson attack.

The three suspects were led to the synagogue on Thursday night where a
crime reconstruction took place.

The first fire broke out at 1:15 a.m. on Jan. 5. The culprits broke
into the synagogue's courtyard and set fire to an outdoor wooden ladder
which leads to the library. The fire was extinguished immediately
before it threatened the temple and the adjoining library, which
features roughly 1,600 rare books and manuscripts. A bottle with a
flammable liquid still burning was found at the scene by
fire-fighters.

The second fire broke out at 4 a.m. on Jan. 16 and destroyed digital
discs, four computers, tapes with Jewish music and books. Both attacks
destroyed a total of 2,500 books.

The medieval synagogue in Hania's old quarter is amongst the most noted
Jewish temples in Greece, functioning as both a cultural centre and a
house of worship.